School Closed To Honor Teacher Killed In Crash

Newport Elementary School teachers and students will report at regular time on Tuesday following a day off to remember a 58-year-old teacher killed in an accident over the weekend.

The entire Frontier Local School District will receive a two-hour early dismissal for Laura Hoff's funeral.

Around 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon, Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers were called to Route 7, to assist in a two car crash involving two adults and one child.

Eighteen-year-old Jacob Minder's truck hydroplaned while driving down the highway, crossing the center line and colliding with the SUV carrying Hoff and her grandson.

After being taken to Marietta Memorial Hospital, Hoff died from injuries related to the accident. Her grandson was taken to Children's Hospital in Columbus and is listed in good condition after an emergency surgery Saturday night.

Minder, the truck driver, was unharmed.

The town of Newport, Ohio, where Hoff was a teacher is in a state of shock.

"He said Laura had been killed in a car accident and I was just stunned," said Brenda Windgrove, a co-worker of Hoff's at Newport Elementary. "When you've known someone for 35 years... It's just an unbelievable loss."

Friends say that Hoff had a strong presence in the school district, and the details of her retirement, which was to begin in June, had just been finalized.

An investigation of the accident is in progress by the Marietta Post of the OSHP.

Hoff's visitation will be held at Ingram's Funeral Home in St. Mary's on Tuesday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Newport Baptist Church.